


no one can hurt you now

by 4beit



Category: The Haunting of Bly Manor (TV)
Genre: F/F, small angst, soft
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-19
Updated: 2021-01-19
Packaged: 2021-03-18 05:48:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,025
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28862043
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/4beit/pseuds/4beit
Summary: "hey," it's a soft call, a gentle beckoning "dani," and jamie's voice is low and reassuring as she lets her hands drop, one covering dani's and the other setting aside the small tube of arnica "you're with me."a statement, not a question.
Relationships: Dani Clayton/Jamie
Comments: 14
Kudos: 90





	no one can hurt you now

"i'll be gentle."

jamie's murmured words are a promise, a gentle reassurance to unspool some of the tension forcing dani's fingers into tight fists. from this vantage point, slightly in front and to the right of dani, jamie can't see the way clipped nails are biting into the soft skin of dani's palm, but she doesn't have to. she leans forward, her free hand coming up to cup dani's jaw when - 

when dani shies away. the flinch is barely there, half a second where dani's not in the room with you. where she's back at bly with an unforgivingly cold and cruel hand curled around her throat. you see her fade, half present with mismatched eyes and then, the moment's gone and she snaps back into herself. dani blinks once, twice, three times and you see the way she bites her lip, looking away with a flush of shame, of something more twisting across her face. 

"hey," it's a soft call, a gentle beckoning "dani," and jamie's voice is low and reassuring as she lets her hands drop, one covering dani's and the other setting aside the small tube of arnica "you're with me." 

a statement, not a question. 

"we're in some shitty motel in the state of new jersey," and the state name, with jamie's accent, manages to pull half a smile across dani's lips, grounds her enough to apologise. 

"i'm sorry." the words are sad, full of heavy sadness and something else that jamie recognises now as the emotions settle on dani's face and in the drop of her shoulders. 

jamie recognises it as guilt. 

"what for?" jamie asks, although she's only half unsure. 

dani bites her lip harder and jamie works her fingers along dani's, loosening the white-knuckle grip on herself as dani begins to speak "you know," she says, shaking her head "for, for jumping." 

"poppins," jamie says with carefully chosen words "not too long ago," she starts "you were strangled." her gaze drifts to the bruising that stands stark along the pale skin of dani's neck. so clearly can jamie see the outline of a thumb, of five individual fingers that it's impossible for her not to imagine the lady of the lake with her hand around dani's neck "nearly killed. i think," and she lifts dani's hand, pressing the flats of their palms together, matching their fingers against each other "you have every right to be jumpy." 

"but it's you." dani protests. 

"it's me." jamie agrees, lacing their fingers together "and i'm far too attractive to be the lady of that sodding lake," dani smiles, half a breathy laugh escaping "but your brain hasn't quite caught on to that yet. and i can be patient. and if touching your neck, your chin, or anywhere, is a no go, then that's okay by me. i will simply have to woo you with my plant raising skills and charm, and incredible sense of humour." 

she brings dani's hand to her lips, pressing a kiss to the ridges of her knuckles and looking up at dani. dani who finally finds the courage to meet jamie's gaze. there's the familiar cocktail of fear, guilt and uncertainty swimming in dani's eyes and jamie endeavours to make it fade. 

"i mean it." she says, "i'm here for it all. here for it all with you, poppins." 

dani nods once, twice, and she lets out a wavering breath that seems to expel a fraction of the tension wrapped around her "okay." she says "okay. how about, for now," she chews the inside of her cheek "please, just don't touch me there." she gestures to her neck "i know i asked you to help with that cream but," she shakes her head "i think, maybe i need to-" 

"dani," jamie says her name, cutting her ramble off to say "you don't need to explain yourself. you can just say, i don't want to be touched there, and i won't do it." 

"thank you." dani says, her voice unexpectedly tight with tears. 

"can i kiss you?" jamie asks, knowing there's so much more she can convey with soft kisses and gentle hands. 

dani nods. 

so jamie does. she keeps her hands tangled with danis, but shifts forward, their foreheads bumping together. jamie takes a moment, savouring this contact, the sensations of dani's level breathing and - 

dani's kissing her. 

kissing dani like this, with the whole night spread before them, is still exhilarating for jamie. there's an urgency to dani still, that underlying fear that she's on borrowed time is conveyed with every kiss, even as this one morphs into something more languid, something more drawn out. jamie allows herself to be moved, to let her hands be guided to dani's hips and to feel dani's fingers trail up her forearm, settling around her elbows. jamie's come to notice that dani likes to hold her there. she likes the purchase of jamie's biceps, her elbow, keeping her close and kissing her. 

jamie certainly isn't complaining. she keeps her hands where dani wants them, parting for breath and wasting no time in pressing a kiss to the corner of dani's mouth. 

dani smiles, surer now and more settled. 

"we were supposed to go find dinner." dani says. 

"sod it." jamie counters, shifting, manoeuvring herself so - 

"jamie, what-" 

"gettin' more comfortable." jamie explains, and dani raises an eyebrow as jamie lays out along the length of the bed. 

it's a clear invitation. 

"we can just order a pizza. there's got to someplace near that does it." jamie says, one hand drifting back to dani's hip, tugging, guiding, asking. 

"we had pizza two nights ago." dani says, straddling jamie's hips, settling herself there. 

"can honestly say i don't care." jamie smiles, one hand still on dani's hip, the other tangled with dani's "would really rather stay here with you." she tugs on dani's hand, and watches - still caught on the view from below dani like this, being able to watch the happiness and confidence that slips down dani's spine. 

"i think i can live with that." dani agrees, bending forward, hair falling with her, to kiss jamie again. 

and again. 

and again.

**Author's Note:**

> the idea of dani having some sort of bruising after being dragged around by the lady of the lake has been sitting in my head for a while. i decided to combine that with my need for something soft. thus, we have this short piece. 
> 
> i'm around on tumblr screaming about either of the hauntings, or more recently gideon the ninth, if anyone fancies a chat. 
> 
> as ever, thank you to everoyne who has kudo'd and commented on my previous stories.


End file.
